In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.

Throughout her life, accomplished singer, poet, painter, and National Book Award-winning author Patti Smith has effortlessly and successfully leapt from one creative discipline to another. In the introduction of her 1994 poetry collection “Early Work,” Smith offers these words of wisdom to the reader, highlighting the dual approaches she’s taken in various aspects of her own life. She urges us to be fearless and unrestrained when it comes to our creative endeavors, allowing our imagination to guide us without constraints or inhibitions. On the other hand, she reminds us that forging a successful creative life requires us to stay grounded and maintain our equilibrium elsewhere, by adopting a more measured and practical attitude in our day-to-day lives.